The Triumvirate Strikes
by demi smiles
Summary: Naya comes on The X Factor set and Simon, Kelly, and Paulina try to intimidate her. Tumblr: shehadaworldof-chances


Simon was leaning over and as soon as Demi heard the buzz of the hair dryer, she laughed. The old man she lovingly referred to as Grandpa's hair customs were never not funny and the blue-haired girl eyed him suspiciously as he stood back up and switched off the hair dryer before he ran his fingers through his gray head. He looked over at Demi who was placing a carrot in her mouth as she stared at him.

"What?" Simon asked incredulously. "I don't understand, Demi, every time I do my hair you look at me."

Demi dissolved into a peal of giggles as Simon stared at her. "You honestly think that looks good?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "And this affects you how, darling?" He placed the hair dryer down on the makeup table. "Honestly, Demi, shouldn't you worry about yourself?"

"Part of how I look depends on how the people beside me look," she shot back sarcastically as her phone began to vibrate against the counter. Demi peered down and saw Naya's name and picture appear on the screen. She smiled and picked it up and pressed it against her cheek after sliding the call open.

"Hey, babe," she said into the receiver as she acrobatically attempted to pull her curlers out with her free hand. "What's going on?"

Simon glanced over. "Oooh," he said quietly as he brushed past Demi. "Girl talk?"

Demi gave him a light slap as he exited the green room as she listened to Naya ramble on about something that had happened to Kevin on set. Apparently he had broken his leg somehow catastrophically by doing some complex wheelchair movement.

Demi groaned in sympathy as she continued to listen to Naya, the phone now tucked above her shoulder as she tried to unpin all of her curlers successfully. She wasn't sure how she felt about her blue hair being curled, but the producers and makeup crew had insisted. It was still a good two hours until the show so she sprayed a generous amount of hairspray in and continued to make small talk with her girlfriend.

"Hey, Naya," she said suddenly, still somewhat distracted.

"You okay?" Naya's voice came in fuzzily on the other end of the line.

Demi bit her lip and looked at herself closely in the mirror before she ran a finger under her eye where a bit of mascara had smudged. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she replied quickly. "Just a bit distracted. It's difficult to get ready when Simon's in the room, obnoxious little bitch he likes to be," she said as she made sure the last part was loud enough for him to hear outside of the room.

"Takes one to know one, darling," he called back as Demi heard Naya laugh on the end of the line.

"Anyways," she said, stretching the word to emphasize its importance as she shot Simon daggers with her eyes. "I was wondering if you'd like to come and hang out before the show. We can probably get you in to see it if you want too – in fact, I don't see why not."

Demi could practically hear Naya's smile through the phone and that simple act made her smile in return. "That sounds awesome," Naya responded enthusiastically. "Thanks, D. Should I pick up some food to bring to you before the show?"

"No," Demi cleared her throat as she replied quickly. "Sorry, thank you, they provide us with food. I can score you some. I think tonight's some kind of chicken, potato, and vegetable dish…?"

"Sounds much better than take-out Chinese," Naya answered.

Demi laughed. "Indeed, though you're lovely to offer. I'll tell Eric, the guy at the gate to let you in. You'll just have to show him your I.D. Studio Eight."

"Excellent. See you in a bit, babe."

The blue-haired girl smiled and hung up her phone after wishing there had been quick exchange of "I love you's." She supposed that neither of them had the courage yet. She ran a hand through her curled hair after having temporarily forgotten how stiff the hairspray had made it. She walked out of the green room only find herself face to face with Simon, Kelly and Paulina talking quietly behind him.

"So," he smirked. "Naya's coming to dinner?"

She shot him a look. "You creep! Guys!" She gestured to the pair of women behind them. "Tell him to stop listening in on my phone calls.

Kelly looked at Demi innocently with widened eyes. "We just love you, babe."

"Yeah," Paulina declared in her agreement, her thick Mexican accent never failing to amuse Demi. "She hurts you, she comes through us."

Demi rolled her eyes. "She's fine. Don't intimidate her though when she comes into the studio."

"Of course not," all three of the judges responded simultaneously, Paulina batting her heavily made-up eyelashes. Demi rolled her eyes once more and walked back into the green room to grab a bottle of water before she sat down to attend to some incredibly important playing of Flappy Bird.

Twenty seven deaths later, Naya waltzed through the door and Demi was too distracted to notice her until Naya placed five roses in a bag on top of Demi's head and glanced down at what she was doing.

"Jesus, D, really?"

"What can I say?" She shrugged as a smile cracked her face. "I was bored. It's a perfectly sober addiction."

Naya narrowed her eyes. "Isn't 'sober addiction' kind of an oxymoron?"

Demi giggled and stood up to plant a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. "Not when you're me." She reached for the flowers. "Aw, babe, this is sweet, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to," Naya responded. "By the way," she pointed out the door. "Your three co-workers were practically hounding me when I came through the door. Simon, in particular."

"Christ," Demi sighed and she grabbed Naya's hand to drag them both out of the green room to come face to face with the triumvirate once again. "Really, guys? I said no intimidation." She quickly placed a chaste kiss on Naya's lips. "See you in just a minute, babe. I'm going to run to the bathroom."

Demi walked off and Kelly came in on Naya like a mother bear. "You won't hurt her will you?"

"Because we'll kill you," Paulina interjected. "Demi is my baby. Nobody who hurts her get past her."

"Guys, I'm not going to hurt her!" Naya exclaimed defensively as she held up her hands, feeling incredibly awkward after having only met the three judges once prior. "I promise!"

Simon narrowed his eyes but then smiled widely. "Eh," he shrugged his lip out. "Do what you want with the brat." He earned himself a soft slap from Kelly and quickly re-opened his mouth. "Well, do what you want but don't hurt her."

Kelly nodded. "Yeah, we'll find a way to destroy you. Especially Pau Pau here. She can just tell the world that you're actually just a little 'peachy.' Be careful."

Paulina nodded in agreement as her hand ran through her purely blonde hair, a hint of glitter in it for whatever tonight's theme was. "Yeah, I will." She quickly responded and pressed her lips together. She bared her teeth, half-jokingly, half-not, but it nonetheless made Naya step back. "I can ruin you."

"No she can't," Simon retorted as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "But seriously," he pointed a finger in Naya's face. "Don't hurt her. I don't know what I'd do without my brat. She's a brat, but I like brats."

Naya sighed in defeat. "I'm not going to hurt her!" she declared loudly as a final try. "God, I love her! Why would I hurt somebody I love?"

In that moment, Demi appeared behind Naya, her hands still mildly wet from the mediocre job she had done drying her hands. "What did you just say?" she questioned quietly.

"Oh!" Naya jumped. "N-n-nothing, I was, um, just talking," she replied anxiously.

The trio smirked in tandem and turned around to walk away, Kelly and Paulina giggling and whispering something under their breaths.

"Where'd they all just go?" Demi asked, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowing.

Naya sighed. "T-they were just telling me not to hurt you. And I said I wouldn't. I said I wouldn't because, um, because, um, I love you." She finally pushed the words awkwardly out of her mouth.

Demi smiled and cupped Naya's face to press a kiss onto her lips. "You're precious. I've been waiting, love, because I love you too."

The darker girl beamed and wrapped her arms around Demi's neck after she quickly kissed her cheek. "Can we go eat? I'm starved."

Demi laughed. "Yeah, of course, let's go," she replied as she grabbed Naya's hand and led them down the hall.


End file.
